FINDING PHOEBE BY GAVIN EXTENCE
PAPERBACK PUBLISHED BY ANDERSEN PRESS 3RD AUGUST 2023
ISBN 9781839133312
Phoebe has a life plan. But life has other ideas. Phoebe is autistic. She prefers to stay in her comfort zone walking her dog, writing fantasy fiction, surviving school with a few incidents as possible.
When her best and only friend rebels and gets a secret boyfriend, Phoebe reluctantly agrees to cover for her. Before long, Phoebe’s dealing with all sorts of things she’d rather not, like deception, fashionable jackets, and the bewildering politics of the school chess club. Breaking the rules has never been Phoebe’s thing, but as events take a seriously unexpected turn, she realises there’s more to her than she ever imagined.
From page 24
Dear Phoebe
This is very important information because it’s about you! Daddy and I hope you will read it and then keep it safe, so you can read it again whenever you need to.
As you know, everyone is different. Everyone has things that they are good at. Not everyone likes the same things as everyone else. Everyone has things that they are scared of, but not everyone is scared of the same things.
Phoebe one of your differences is that you have something called ASD, which means Autistic Spectrum Disorder. You may also hear it called just autism, or even Asperger’s or Asperger’s Syndrome. They all refer to the same thing really, so we’re just call it ASD. It’s a bit like Mummy having ME but ASD doesn’t make you poorly. It changes the way your brain I hope that learning a little bit about it will be helpful (and interesting!) for you.
ASD is the reason you find some things harder than other people. It’s the reason you don’t always like looking at people, especially at their eyes, and it’s why you sometimes find it difficult to talk to people and understand what they are saying. Your ASD means that you struggle with your balance sometimes like when you have to tip your head back to have your hair washed, but it’s also the reason you love the feeling of spinning and swinging. And it’s why you have some really amazing skills, like reading so well and remembering things brilliantly.
These are not all the things you are good at or all the things you find difficult. It’s impossible to write down every single thing about anyone. But I hope it gives you an idea of why you feel the way you do about some things.
The most important thing for you to understand is that having ASD isn’t good or bad, or right or wrong. It’s just a part of you, and another thing that makes you who you are. Mummy and Daddy think you are the most wonderful daughter in the world. You may not always like to ask for help, but we love you very much and will always be here for you, whatever you need us. So, please, never be afraid to come to us with any problems or questions, and if there’s anything in this letter that you’d like to know more about or don’t understand, then please ask us about that too!
With all my love, now and forever,
Mummy.
Gavin Extence was born in 1982 and grew up in the interestingly named village of Swineshead, Lincolnshire. From the ages of 5-11, he enjoyed a brief but illustrious career as a chess player, winning numerous national championships and travelling to Moscow and St Petersburg to pit his wits against the finest young minds in Russia. He won only one game.
Gavin is currently working on his second novel. When he is not writing, he enjoys cooking, amateur astronomy and going to Alton Towers. Twitter GavinExtence
Bookread2day 